BURLINGTON, Vt. (TCD) — A man will spend almost three decades in prison for killing his wife with a cleaver and attempting to do the same to her mother in 2017.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced Chittenden County Superior Court Judge John Pacht sentenced Aita Gurung to 35 years to life in prison under the stipulation that 27 of those years must be served behind bars and the rest on probation.
Vermont Digger reports Gurung received about six years of time served due to the time he spent in custody and a psychiatric facility following his arrest.
Gurung was convicted in November 2022 of first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for killing his wife, Yogeswari Khadka, with a cleaver, and the “near-fatal attack” on her mother, Tulasa Romal.
Gurung’s attorneys reportedly argued during the trial that he was not competent. Initial charges filed against him were dropped by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2019 because prosecutors “did not have sufficient evidence to rebut” Gurung’s insanity defense. Vermont Digger reports Gov. Phil Scott asked the attorney general at the time, TJ Donovan, to look over the case, and he soon refiled charges.
Vermont Public Radio reports Gurung previously attempted suicide, and doctors believed he could have PTSD because he lived in a refugee camp in Nepal for 20 years before moving to Vermont. He reportedly suffered from depression, ate paper, had nightmares, and heard voices.
Gurung and Khadka reportedly argued about his apparent alcoholism and domestic abuse.
On Oct. 7, 2017, Gurung reportedly called Burlington Police and said he had a domestic incident the night before with his wife. Khadka spoke with an investigator and she reportedly said, “Yes, my husband is having some mental health issues. He does take medicine. I think he’s slipping off his meds. This is a problem, but I don’t think he committed a crime against me the night before.”
About a week later, Gurung was found covered in blood standing on the sidewalk outside his home with a cleaver in his hand and his wife deceased. Gurung’s mother-in-law was reportedly on the porch with injuries to her head and arms.
Burlington Police Cpl. Jessica Norris reportedly wrote in the affidavit, “There was just blood everywhere.”
The Vermont Digger reports Gurung wrote a letter at the sentencing hearing, which was read by an interpreter, and said, “Your honor, six years ago I did a terrible thing and killed my lovely wife and hurt my mother-in-law. I still see Yogeswari in my dreams and every day, every hour, every minute I feel incredible pain, guilt, and remorse for what I did to her.”
Gurung said his wife “did not deserve to die this terrible death,” nor did her mother “deserve to be hurt and witness this terrible death.”
Vermont Public Radio reports Gurung said his “mind wasn’t working” that day.
He admitted in his letter that he “should have taken my medicine” and stopped drinking.
Pacht told Gurung, “The damage done to the surviving family members can’t be measured, and none of that can be measured in years of imprisonment either.”
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